The Prohibition era in America, which lasted for well over a decade and—inconceivable as it might be today—effectively banned the sale and production of booze in the United States, ended with the ratification of the 21st Amendment on Dec. 5, 1933.

Photo Essay

The latest photo stories from TIME’s contributors.

TIME contract photographer Christopher Morris sought to make an anthropological study of America—not for this week, or for this past election cycle—but a body of work that future generations could look back on to get a sense of the country’s mood.

The shark trade is a thriving industry in the Arabian Peninsula. Last week, the European Union voted to tighten shark-fishing regulations. LightBox presents Thomas P. Peshak’s photographs of the industry that has put the region’s shark populations on the precipice of degradation.

For many in Sandy’s path, the storm itself was terrifying. On Staten Island, houses collapsed, crushing people underneath; in Breezy Point, families fled blocks of homes in flames. But in Redfern, the real struggle began the next day, when it became clear that power wouldn’t return for weeks.

Chengdu-based photographer Zhang Kechun spent two years photographing from the banks of China’s Yellow River. Though the lunar tones and low horizons feel foreboding, Zhang insists the project carries a message of hope.

On Friday, more than 11,000 refugees fled Syria in a single day. LightBox presents photographer Matilde Gattoni’s portraits of the swallows of Syria, female refugees seeking safety in Lebanon from the violence of their homeland.

From Herman Cain’s cowboy hat and Stephen Colbert’s super-PAC fun pack to binders, Big Bird and bayonets, objects became the visual sound bites of the 2012 election. TIME presents 100 objects that made their debut during this election.